TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Religious Aristocracies
- Haram or sacred shrines – sedentary power as relations pious group take on role as holy family. No murder in Harem so negotiation ground – Nomadic people, usually subordinate sedentary dwellers – became social and economically important as traders realise that they are safe.
- Mansib or head of cult often sued as mediator been tribes and as power to bar from Haram and associated market – if no access to other market. Serious. V important man and family – considered noble or sharif real security from weaker tribesmen, and ability to give protection to weaker tribes – formation religious aristocracy.
- Mansib could construct sizeable political coalition tying tribes together and bringing other tribes into a loose confederation. Exercising cultic, social and economic power.
- Political history of northern and central Arabia - rise and fall of small polities competing warrior nomads or holy families – trying to subjugate myriad tribal groupings – or bring into alliance against rivals.
- Stability religious aristocracy greater as economic and cultic power less easy to disband than military power.
- Mansib as adjudicator – doesn’t imply concept of law – first step in that direction. As near strong economic centres – rare but sometimes event non-agricultural specialists like business men, artisans and merchants, germ of concept of legitimacy through rule of law, potential to support class of administrators – sacred enclave more potential to develops into more thoroughly integrated state like structure than nomadic confederations – rudimentary organisational level.
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